Daniel Agdag’s Whimsical Sculptures Made Only of Cardboard

Daniel Agdag’s whimsical, complex sculptures are crafted entirely out of cardboard and depict outlandish machines. The Australian artist, who’s also a filmmaker, labels his work “sketching with cardboard,” as he doesn’t use intricate planning, measuring, or sketching to pull off each piece, despite its meticulous appearance. Instead, the plays with the components until pleased.

“He will tell you that he makes things out of cardboard,” says MARS Art Gallery in Melbourne. “He’s modest. This declaration in no way illuminates the delicate form and eccentric narrative of his work. To say he pushes the medium to its limits is an understatement. His process is very much akin to freehand drawing. He spends a great deal of time thinking and absorbing objects in the built environment, their peculiar details and functions, which leads him to form narratives. Once this is firmly resolved in his mind, various components of the work begin to slowly emerge, fitting together to compliment the overall idea.”